Presentation

A passion for sport, the thrill of sailing, a desire for adventure and hunger for a Challenger will meet in Barcelona on the 14th January 2023. The IMOCA yachts will line up for the spectacular launch of this round the world regatta, the start of the fourth edition of the Barcelona World Race, the first and only round-the-world yacht race with two crew.

Organised by the Fundació de Navegació Oceànica de Barcelona (FNOB), Barcelona’s transoceanic sailing foundation, the regatta is part of the IMOCA Globe Series, the world championship.

It is a circumnavigation of the globe, starting and finishing in Barcelona. This is a sporting challenge, a transoceanic adventure, which pushes human endurance to the limit. The two skippers on each of the IMOCA 60 yachts will set off on the incredible challenge of sailing round the world east to west, on a route covering some 23,320 nautical miles (43,188.64 km) over a period of approximately three months.

Until now, the route had been non-stop, however, there’s a brand-new format to the race for the fourth edition. The double-handed, round-the-world regatta will now be raced across two legs: Barcelona-Sydney-Barcelona, with the teams having an option to switch co-skipper for the second leg. The change will bring together two major sailing cities on opposite sides of the globe, and broaden the horizons for growth of this spectacular competition.

Barcelona will yet again be the beating heart of this enthralling regatta, now 10 years old, following the anniversary celebrated in November 2017, a regatta which has become part of the lifeblood of this city and another great sporting project from Barcelona. For three months, the yachts will sail the world representing the spirit of Barcelona, a pioneering, global city with a passion for sport and breaking boundaries.

There are a number of new features for the fourth edition of the regatta. These have been carefully considered by IMOCA, sporting bodies and skippers and the aim is to make this adventure the best possible challenge for those taking part, to make it exciting for the public and more attractive to sponsors.

The countdown to the 14th January 2023 is on. The new Barcelona World Race is coming: adventure, endurance, strategy, speed and the thrill of ocean racing are guaranteed.